Good point. Same issue here. This setup eliminates that problem - there's plenty of clearance. With the new hitch the bikes will be sitting higher, which may affect mpg slightly...
Tongue Mounted Bike Rack?
- Thread starter Long Truong
- Start date
TheSongDogHouse
Ranger
Very nice solution especially for heavier bike(s) and racks.
Looking forward to post trips updates!
I wonder if putting the hitch ball out further on a lever arm might challenge a smaller tow vehicle's hitch weight limits ("50%" per e-trailers review), and change turning radius.
A Subaru Outback that can easily manage two-4 bikes on a 1up
on TV bumper might be more stressed by a dual rig with the CI ball thats now 1 foot further aft.
A larger tow vehicle like a Passport or a large SUV or a pickup truck would have no problem, I'd guess.
I know I can carry one or two bikes on a 1up on the CI trailer hitch option thats 150# limited, but not so sure about going from that to say 2 e-bikes on the 1up...or four MTBs. I sure do envy those folks with electric motors going up hills...
So I am kinda fooling around my "Subaru Outback-wannabe" VW Alltrack with increasingly heavy loads, adding incrementally to see how it handles more hanging off the back of the CI. Like Long mentioned, you can tell that has its limits in handling too, too much and you create sway. I notice "more bounciness" like two kids on a teeter totter.
I was seriously thinking of the dual hitch as it looked like such an elegant simple fix, but on reflection decided I prefer to keep my turning radius as small as possible ...again for dispersed camping exploration/long gravel roads aspirations.
I've discovered its tricky backing the CI all the way back uphill on a single lane sandy road with no turnouts for a y-turn...and a flat spot in the field on one or both sides of the road might save my butt if I can pull a 180...
Like Bear wrote once, re his 550- if he gets to a spot he can go no further, his tongue weight is light enough he could unhitch and spin the trailer by hand and rehook up to his 4x4 jeep. My 560 Utra SUV fully loaded up is another thing to haul around, and my awd VW Golf is not a jeep...
Trade-offs...
Looking forward to post trips updates!
I wonder if putting the hitch ball out further on a lever arm might challenge a smaller tow vehicle's hitch weight limits ("50%" per e-trailers review), and change turning radius.
A Subaru Outback that can easily manage two-4 bikes on a 1up
on TV bumper might be more stressed by a dual rig with the CI ball thats now 1 foot further aft.
A larger tow vehicle like a Passport or a large SUV or a pickup truck would have no problem, I'd guess.
I know I can carry one or two bikes on a 1up on the CI trailer hitch option thats 150# limited, but not so sure about going from that to say 2 e-bikes on the 1up...or four MTBs. I sure do envy those folks with electric motors going up hills...
So I am kinda fooling around my "Subaru Outback-wannabe" VW Alltrack with increasingly heavy loads, adding incrementally to see how it handles more hanging off the back of the CI. Like Long mentioned, you can tell that has its limits in handling too, too much and you create sway. I notice "more bounciness" like two kids on a teeter totter.
I was seriously thinking of the dual hitch as it looked like such an elegant simple fix, but on reflection decided I prefer to keep my turning radius as small as possible ...again for dispersed camping exploration/long gravel roads aspirations.
I've discovered its tricky backing the CI all the way back uphill on a single lane sandy road with no turnouts for a y-turn...and a flat spot in the field on one or both sides of the road might save my butt if I can pull a 180...
Like Bear wrote once, re his 550- if he gets to a spot he can go no further, his tongue weight is light enough he could unhitch and spin the trailer by hand and rehook up to his 4x4 jeep. My 560 Utra SUV fully loaded up is another thing to haul around, and my awd VW Golf is not a jeep...
Trade-offs...
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